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G. WITTE 82; 0. GREINER. EXTENSION FIRE LADDER.

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G; WITTE & 0. GR-E INER. EXTENSION FIRE LADDEP No. 291,259. I rPatented'Jan. 1 1884.

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WITTE & 0. GREINER.

EXTENSION FIRE LADDER.

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BX'IENSION FIRE LADDER.

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I EXTENSION FIRE LADDER. No. 291,259 Patented Jan. 1, 1884.

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EXTENSION FIRE LADDER.

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A pplicaiion filed July 1-1, 1892.

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therein STATES ,iPATENT tries.

GUSTAV XVITTE AND OTTO GREINER, vOF BERLIN, GERMANY.

EXTENSION FIRE-LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 291,259, dated January1, 1884.

(No model.) Patented in. Germany August 16, 1519, No. SLEOG, and June 9,1882, No. 31,092, and in Austria-Hungary October 31, 1882.

' T0 all whom it may concern Like letters of reference are employed toino Be .it known that we, GUSTAV WITTE and l dicate like parts whereversuch may occur in Orro GREINER, subjects of the King of Prussia,residing at Berlin, Germany, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fire- Ladders with Manipulating Devices; and we dohereby. declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, suchas will enable othersskilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters orfigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification. :Our invention relates to certain improvements in theconstruction of extension fire-ladders, and in mechanism for extendingor erectingand lowering the same, as hereinafter fully described, and asshown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a sectionalelevation of an extensible fire-ladder constructed to be supported fromand carried upon a four-wheeled truck. Fig. 2is an end View, and Fig. 3atop plan View, thereof. Figs. 4, b, 5, 5", 5, 5, 5, and 5 are detailviews, the latter on an en- Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are detail views of amodified construction of mechanism for raising the ladder-sections, saidmechanism being constructed to be mounted upon and carried by afour-wheeled truck. Fig. 9 isa 1011- gitudinal section of an extensionfire-ladder and its elevating mechanism supported from and carried upona two-wheeled truck, the sections of the ladder being shown in positionfortransportation. Fig. 10 is a sectional end view thereof. Fig. 11shows in side elevation the' parts. inposition for extending and raisingthelladder. Fig. 12 is a front elevation thereof, partly in section.Figs. 12 and 12'? are detail views on an enlarged scale, showing theconstructionof the slide or carriage 0*. Figs. 13 ,and 14 are detailviews, showing our improved construction of ladder-sections. Fig. 15,isa detail view of part of the mechanism used forextending theladder.Fig. 16 shows insection our improved coupling for coupling the ladderse'ctions together. Fig. 17 is a plan View and Fjg. 18 a detail view,thereof.

the above figures of drawings.

Our invention consists in mechanism and combination of mechanisms forextending and raising the ladder section by section, com

mencing with the upper section and building such ladder from topdownward, for adjusting the ladder when extended and raised into properposition, and securing such ladder into the position in which it hasbeen adjusted,

substantially as hereinafter fully described.

' Various mechanical devices may be employed to carry out our invention,which may be applied to a four-wheeled vehicle or truck or to atwo-wheeled vehicle or truck, both of 6 5 which wehave illustrated inthe accompany ing drawings; and that our invention maybe fullyunderstood we will first describe the same as applied to a four-wheeledtruck, r eferring more particularly to Figs. l to 8,'in- 7o elusive.

The apparatus consists of a number of ladder-sections of any usual ordesired construction, preferably of the construction hereinafterdescribed, and which may also be used as 7 5 hand-ladders, theseladdersections L being so constructed that the upper end of the sidebars. of one section may be fitted into sockets formed at or attached tothe lower end of the side bars ofa-nother section, as shown in dot-tedlines in Figs. 1 and 4, and as hereinafter further explained, saidsections being braced together by side-rail braces, or rigidlyconnectedby couplings or bolts.

Upon the rear end of a suitably-constructed 8 four-wheeled carriage ortruck, 'I, is located a disk or turn table, T, mounted upona spin;

girt, G, at their upper end, as shown in. Figs. 2, 3,5, 5 ,and 5. ,Saidturn-table also carries mechanism for holdin gtheframeinproper positionwhen raisedand preventing its displace- The turn 0 ment,whieh mechanismmay consistof a wormsegment and worm, or, as shown in Fig. 1, of atoothed segment, 8, and pinion 1 or of any other appropriate mechanicalappliances whereby the frame may be securely held in any desiredposition. The frame F is composed of two longitudinal girts, f, ofmetal, of rectangular or E shape in cross-section, their plane surfacesfacing each other. To these plane faces are bolted similar girts, 1", ofless diameter, the channel of which serves as a guide or way in whichreciprocate two carriages, G C, that serve to move the ladder sectionstoward the outer end of the frame, said sections, when laid on thecarriages, being guided by the standards or girtsf, which are of greaterdiameter than the waysf, as above stated. The carriages are connected tothe ends of chains 0 and c. The chain 0 passes over pulley fast on itsshaft, its ends being connected to the carriages C and C by meanshereinafter described, and the chain 0, whose ends are also connected tosaid carriages, passes over a loose pulley, f, said chains forming adouble loop and serving to impart a re eiprocating motion to thecarriages G G, as follows: Sisa shaft mountedin frame F, that carriessuitable crank-handles, l1, and a transmit- I ting-pulley,p,eonnectedbybelt or chain a with a second transmitting-pulley, 1;",upon a shaft, Salso mounted in frame F,which latter shaft carries apinion, ll, thatmeshes with a toothed wheel, XV, mounted upon the shaft of thechain-pulley p, as plainly shown in Fig. 2. By rotating the shaft S inone direction the two carriages C C will approach each other, and byrotating said shaft in a reverse direc tion they will recede from eachother. The ladder-sections are held by means of pawls arranged onopposite sides of the carriages O C.

' As plainly shown in Figs. 5", F 1), each carriage G C has an axle,a'-', carrying at their opposite ends pawls (I a, and a a respectively,the arm a of which is adapted to enter into a recess, formed in a plate,y, secured to the under side of the end spokes of each ladder-section,said arm a. being held in proper position for engaging with the recessedplate by its weighted arm a. The axle a carries'a cam or lug, a, withwhich engages a stud or pin, 7;, projecting from a lever, K, by means ofwhich the arm a" of the pawl may be depressed out of the path of theplates 1 when thelaglder-sections are lowered in dismembering the'lazii-r. 1f the carriages G 0 (shown in Fig. 2) are brought to the limit oftheir movement from each other, and a ladder-seetion, L, is placed onthe frame F upon said carriages, so that the pawls of carriage C willengage the recessed plate g of the last spoke at the lower end of saidsection, and the crankshaft'S is rotated to bring the carriagestogether, the ladder-section will'he raised a dis tance equal to itslength, and the pawls a of the carriage G will be in position to engagewith the recessed plates 5 on the under side of another spoke of theladder-sectionsay the second or third spoke from the lower end of saidsection, as shown in Fig. 5. If, how, the motion of the crank-shaft isreversed, the pawls a. of carriage C will move out of engagement withtheir recessed plates, and simultaneously therewith the pawls (1/ ofcarriage C will move into engagement with their recessed plates, thecarriage C moving down and the carriage 0 up, carrying with it theladdersee tion, (or sections, as the case may be,) which is now held bypawls a, and has again been moved up a distance equal to its length.This lattermovement clears the frame for the insertion of a secondladdcr-section-that is to say, a second section may now be laid upon theguide frame F and the carriages and the upper end of its side barsinserted into the lowersoeketed end of the first section. Vhen this hasbeen done, the brace-rails R are applied to brace the ladder-sectionstogether and form at the same time hand-rails, as shown in Figs. 1, 4,and 5. The operation hereinabove described to raise the second sect-ionis repeated, and so on for each section, until the ladder is of thedesired or required length. The lowering of the ladder and its dismenrberment takes place in reversing the operations above described, thepawls a of carriage 0 being held out of the way of the recessed plates 1of the ladder-sections, by means of any suitable mechanism adapted to beoperated by hand, until said pawls have passed the recessed plates. Forthis purpese the pawls a may be mounted upon a shaft adapted to berotated by a crank; or said pawls may be held out of the way of therecessed plates by any other suitable means-as, for instance, a leveractuating an arm on the pawl pivot or the pawl, as shown in Fig. 15. Togive the frame F and the ladder the necessary inclination, thecrankhandles 71. are connected with shaft S carrying the pinions f, thatmesh with the gearwheels the shaft S* of which carries the pinions F,that mesh with thetoothed segments 8. \Ve provide also the usual safetyappliances to catch the ladder in case of its fall with a wall, at anyelevation, either by means of detents or other suitable and wellknownmechanism, which need not here he described in detail, as they form nopart of this invention.

In Figs. 6, 7, and 8 we have shown a modi fied construction of mechanismfor raising the ladder-sections and forming the ladder. The guide-frameF (shown in the latter figures) consists of two U-shaped iron sidepieces,f, connected at one end by a transverse bar or girt, G, the endsof which are formed into trunnions t t, that rotate in bearings B 13,secured to the turn-table T". To one of the side pieces f is bolted abearin 13, in which is mounted a shaft, S, that carries a pinion ortoothed wheel, \V, that meshes with a rack-bar, R, arranged to slide' insaid side pieces, f, of frame F. The shaft- S" also carries a wormwheel,\V that meshes with a worm-spindle,

' wflby means of vwhich the rack-bar is moved when said worm isrotated.. The upper end of the rack-bar'has an, arm, i to which isconneeteda transverse bar or girt, G, the ends of which'arc formed intotrunnions t', upon which the upper ends of two brace-rods, E 'E', arepivot-ed, the lower ends thereof being pivoted either upon pins or shortshafts S, mounted in hearings B, secured to or formed upon theturn-table T, or upon a comsaid frame inclining toward the right. The

frame Flies horizontally upon the truck that serves for itstransportation and for the transpo'rtation of the laddersections, ofwhich truck the turn-table forms a part, and when itis desired to raisethe frame the truunions t are' laid into the bearings B, and securedtherein by means of the caps b b of said bearings, as shown in Fig. 6.

Yo have deemed it unneeessai truck in relation to Figs. ti, 7-, and S,as said truck is or may be of a construction substantially like thatshown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

The'inechanism described serves not only to determine the position inwhich the frame is to be held when raised, but also to lower itinto ahorizontal position by simply removing the trunnionst l-i'rom theirbearings and allowing the frame to swing upon the bracc-rods into ahorizontal position upon the truck. The principal object in view is, onthe one hand, to effect the displacement of the upper end or apex of theframe F, to give the ladder the necessary inclination, by theapplication of as little power as possible, and in such mannerastoinsure the stability of the frame, to whatever position itina v beshifted, and, on the other, to shift the frameinto therequired positionfor action in aslittletime aspossible.

In Figs. 9 to 18 we have shown a construc- 'tion of extension fircladderadapted to be mounted on and carried by atwo-wheeled truck. The mainframe in this modification is in its generatfcatures substantiallylikcthe frame described in reference tofFigs. 6, 7, and 8.

Instead of a rack-bar and worm-gear for adjusting the frame in thedesired position, wecmploy' a slide or carriage, that embraces one ofthe side flanges oflthe -U-irons of the two-frame, and to theoppositeside of said carriage or slide are pivoted the braces E E, asmore plainly shown in- Fig; 12. The carriage or;

slide consists of a transvclse plate or body, a, the ends ot which arebent to'embrace the innor side flange, f, of the U-shaped side bars ofthe frame F, as plainly shown in Fig. 12.

Upon the bent port-ion c of the carriage is are "v to show the formedabearing in which is mounted a pawl,

M, held with its arm extended against the outer flange, f, of thesidebars of frameF,bya spiral 7o spring, in. This pawl, when the frame iselevated into proper positioinabuts against a stopplate,'m', to holdsaid frame in the position into,which it has been adjusted. Any desirednumber of such plates may be aliixed to the said side bars to give theframe any desired inclination. To allow the pawl to pass by thestop-plates, it is provided with a handle, at, by means of which it maybe turned out of the way of the plates, as plainly shown in Figs. 11,1'2, and 12".

To the carriage C are attached chains H, that travel over chain-pulleysH'H, mounted on suitable shafts rotating in bearingssecured to the sidebars, f, the arrangement of the 8'5 chains being substantially likcthat.for moving the carriages C C'that is to say, by rotating one or theother drum the carriage is moved up or down along the side bars. Thesemeans for imparting a reciprocating movement to such carriage are wellknown, and need therefore no further description.

The frame F,instead of being mounted upon a turn-table, is constructedand arranged for operation as follows: The trunnionst tof the lowertransverse girt, G, form the axles of two small carrying and guidewheels, \V. which serve to facilitate the erection and placingintoposition of said frame F. Thetwobracerods E are pivoted at one endtothetmnsversegirt G or axis that connects the carriage C, and theirothercud is pivoted upon the axle A of the truck-wl-ieels \V. v Theother two braces, 1-),here take the'place of the turn-table to form arigid base to the frame, andthey are pivoted upon the transverse girt Gof the frame at one end, and at the other upon said axle A of thetruek-whecls \Y, as plainly shown in said Fig. 1 1. It is evident thatwhen the carriage C is moved upward the frame will incline in onedirection, and when moved downward said frame will incline in anoppositedirection,the braces E rotating upon the axle A of the truckwhccls. Themechanism for extending and raising the ladder is substantially likethat hercinbcforc described. v

C- and C are the sliding carriagestraveling upon the U shapedframe-pieces f f, and they are moved, as described, by means ofchainpulleys and chains and suitable gearin '1 hcse carriages are alsoprovided with the pawls a a', that engage recessed plates 9 on the underside-of the spokes of the laddcr-see' tions. In Fig-15, which shows atransverse section of the carriage C on alarger scale, the meansemployed for connecting the operating chains 0' c are plainly shown.

I) D are tubular hearings to receive the bolts d d, that carry nuts 11-n n, a, respects ivcly, upon o'ppositesidcs of .thcbearings D D. Theouter ends 'of the bolts are provided with suitable bearings for thereception of a pivot-pin, d to which the outer end of the chains ccls'conncctcd. By means of this would materially weaken the side bats.

, coupling on an enlarged scale.

construction the slack, if anyoecurs, in the chains may be readily takenup by loosening the nuts n and n, and then tightening up the nuts '12 n,as will be readily seen from an inspection of the drawings.

W'e have hercinbet'ore described sectional ladders of any suitableconstruction provided attheir lower end with sockets and recessed plates7. the former to receive the upper end of a ladderscction. and thelfitter to provide a hold whereby said ladder-sections are carriedupward for extension. Such va construction of ladder, no doubt, willanswer all the purposes for which they are designed; but as our objectis to make this class of apparatus ordinary iron or steel piping ofsuitable diameter, to which wooden or other steps or rungs I, may beconnected in any suitable manner, as by means of bolts passing throughthe side bars,- I. This would, no doubt, greatly facilitate theconstruction of the ladder-sections, but it To avoid this we prefer, toattach the steps I by means of two-part clamps \1', having flanges 1",whereby said clamps may be bolted to the side bats, I. A j

, Instead of inserting the side bars of one section into the sockets ofthe side bars of another section, as described, we prefer in thisconstruction of ladder to couple the sections together by means of animproved couplingwhich is constructed for'application and operation asfollows, referring, more particularly to Figs. 16, 17, and 18, whichillustrate the The lower extremity of the-side bars, I, of theladder-sectionsL is of a less diameter than the upper extremity ofsaidside bars, and upon the former is secured a screw-threaded ring,.Z\[,upou which screws an interiorly-thrcaded slceve,(), the lowerinterior periphery of which is hookshaped, as shown ato, the hook-shapedperiphery 0 being cut;- away on opposite sidcs,to form recesses 0, asshown in Fig. 18. upper end of the side bars of the ladder-seetions isprovided with a head 'or annular shoulder, I", that is, like the sleeve0, hookshaped at its lowe-r'cnd. The outer diameter of the shoulder Z ismade to correspond with the hooked portion of sleeve Dis-that is to say,it is cutiaway so as to'cnable it to he slipped .past. said' hookedportion, the part cut away corrcsponding wit'h the hooked portion a ofsleeve 0, and'the hooked portion of the shou-lder 1 corresponds to thatportion of the sleeve 0 which is cutaway, thus forming an interlockingjoint. It is evident, that; when the two parts have been slipped pastone another and the'slccve O is rotated the said parts will not onlybecome locked, but they will also be si .2 5; v h

The

drawn togcther, as will be readily understood.

The sleeveO at; its upper end is of smaller diameter than at its lower,forming a shoulder, o, uponwhich is seated a ring or sleeve, q, to

which issecured, or upon which is formed, a

tubula'rarm. q. Atits'inner end the arm isscrew-threadcdinteriorly,intowlnchlsscrewed an eyebolt, 41. The innerend of the eyebolt lies ina recess. 0, formed in the periphery of thesleeve 0, whereby said sleeve is rotated, the arm and bolt constitutingthe operatinglever. This construction of operating-lever is of greatimportance, inasmuch as it provides means whereby the lever may bebroughtinto such relation with the ladder asto be entirely. out; of theway of the firemen.

Itis obvious that by unscrewing the eyebolt'to retract it from therecess 0" alter the coupling has been efi'ected, the sleeve 9 may berotated to bring the lever on a line parallel with the steps of theladder, and if the bolt is now again screwedhome' it will be held inthat position and may serve-as an intermediate step between theladder-sections.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1.. In an extension fire-ladder, the combination, with ascrics ofladder-sections construct? ed to be connected one with the other bysocket-joints on their side bars, of a frame, F, two reciprocatingcarriages, C C, and means, substantially as described,- for impartingmotion to said carriages and holding the laddersections in position whenraised, whereby a ladder-section is'iaised and held for connection 'withanother section to build the ladder from top tIOW'llWtllfd and raise theladder as i is built up, substantially as described;

2. In an extension fire-ladder, the combination, with ladder-sectionsadapted to be connected by socket-joints, of a frame and tworcciprocating carriages supported thereon, and constructed to serve as aguide for said carriages and for the ladder-sections when placedthereon, mechanism for moving the carriages in opposite direct ions toraise a ladder-section, devices to hold said section in position forconnection from below with another section, and mechanism for adju'sting the ladder when built up into proper position and giving it theproper inclination, substantially as described. 3. In anexteusion'fire-ladder, the combination,wit.h ladder-sections constructedto be connected by socket-joints, ofa frame and mechanism for raisingthe ladder-sections one after another, appliances for rotating the frameand giving it the proper inclination, and mechanism for rigidly'holdingthe ladder and frame in the position given thereto, substantially as'set forth. j 4. Iu-an extension fire-ladder, thecombina- -tiou, with atwowhcel truck, of the hinged or the desired inclination, as described,for the purpose specified.

5. The frame F, composed of side pieces, f f, brace-rods E E, andcross-girts G G, all con- 5 structed for operation in combination with atruck or carriage, substantially as shown and described, for the purposespecified.

6. In an extension fire-ladder, the frame F, composed of side pieces,ff, brace-rods E E, 10 cross-girts G G, and the guide-wheels W incombination with the axle of a truck, upon which said ladder is adaptedto be folded, as described, for the purpose specified.

7 In an extension fire-ladder, the frame F, I 5 composed of side pieces,ff, brace-rods E E, cross-girts G G, and guide-Wheels WV in combinationwith the carriage O mechanism for moving the same along the side pieces,f, and the axle of a truck, upon which said frame is 20 adapted to befolded, as described, for the purpose specified.

GUSTAV \VITTE. OTTO GREINER.

\Vi tnesses:

GEORGE LoUBIER, B. RoI.

